Padmavathi Sarithiram

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: பத்மாவதி சரித்திரம் ‎

Padmavathi Sarithiram (1898) is one of the earliest works in Tamil. A. Madhaviah is the author. This novel emphasizes on girls’ education and widows' remarriage.

Writing, Publication

A. Madhaviah started to write this novel in 1898. However, he discontinued. The unfinished first part of the novel was released. He explained the reason behind it in the English preface that he thought there wouldn’t be a positive response from the readers, hence he discontinued. But the novel was well-received. Researches note that there were two reviews in English and Tamil. Parithimar Kalaignar (V. G. Suryanarayana Sastri) appreciated the novel and said that there was no need for such hesitations. A. Madhaviah wrote the second part with vigor in 1899. Both the parts were released together as one in 1899. Later, he started to write a sequel to the first novel in Panchamirtham magazine. However, he died prior to completing it.

This novel has been published six times since 1898 by the writer. It has been used as a text book in the University of Madras since 1950. In 1958, The Little Flower Company released its seventh edition as an affordable print. After a long gap, the New Century Book House published this novel in 1994. Later, the novel was nationalized. Kaviya Publishers released three incomplete parts as one collection.

Translation

Padmavathi Sarithiram was translated into English titled Padmavati, by Meenakshi Thiagarajan.

Synopsis

The novel has two parts, the first part has 30 chapters, and the second part has 23 chapters.

Padmavathi is the protagonist of this novel. Narayanan, who has been in love with her since childhood, marries her. He teaches her to read and write. Sankaran, Narayanan’s friend Gopal's brother left town as a young boy to live an extravagant life.

Narayanan and Gopu go to the city to study. Sankaran is an actor in a drama company there. They bring him back to their town. Sankaran desires Padmavathi from the moment he lays eyes on her. He makes a devious plan to separate Naryanan from her.

Gopalan has a problematic relationship with his wife. He writes a letter to a woman named Sala, and Sankaran makes it seem like a letter being written to Padmavati. He ensures that Narayanan finds the letter, straining Naryanan and Padmavathi’s relationship.

After many hassles, Narayanan openly asks Gopalan about the letter; the truth finally comes to light. Later, Sankaran sells off his assets and goes back to Bombay along with his father and Sala. Gopalan and his wife are back together.

Characters

• Padmavathi- Protagonist. Good-hearted. Loves her husband. Learns to read and write to be a good wife to her husband.
• Narayanan- Padmavati’s childhood lover. Husband. He teaches her to be a civilized woman. He was poor in his childhood. He builds his life with knowledge and education.
• Seethammal-  Narayanan’s mother. Virtuous person. She strives hard for her son’s education.
• Seedhapathy Iyer- Narayanan’s father. Avaricious, forger. He’s arrested for a crime, leaving his family unprotected.
• Gopalan- Narayanan’s friend. He became unscrupulous since he couldn’t educate his wife.
• Savitri- Gopalan’s sister. Young widow. She engages in educational and social work to fill the void in her life.
• Sankaran- Gopalan’s brother. Diabolical and nefarious. Tries to convert to Christianity. Drama actor.
• Sala- Sankaran’s lover, an immoral woman.
• Kalyani- Gopal’s wife. Rural woman. She’s hostile since she isn’t educated. She later reforms into a better person.
• Dr. William Miller- Principal of Madras Christian College. A true historical personality, a mentor to the students.

Criticism

Padmavathi Sarithiram does not have a detailed depiction of the external situations or character arcs. Characters are structured in line with the author’s standpoint, often agreeing with his viewpoints in the story. Two exceptional cases-  Firstly, the description of the Kutrallam falls. The second is the place where Kalyani (Gopal’s wife), asks him if he would accept her if she acted the same way as Gopal. The novel is analogous to Shakespeare's drama Othello.

The emphasis on girls’ education, a viewpoint where a relationship between a man and a woman should be based on friendship, and the remarriage of widows make this novel significant and noteworthy.

Its contextual depictions of the social and political context of the time, in particular, the novel depicts corruption in the court system, land surveying and document frauds created by the British at the time, as well as the autonomy and hypocrisy in the Brahmin community make it noteworthy.

References

• Origin and Development of the Tamil Novel: Ki.Va. Jagannathan.
• A. Madhavaiah Naveenatuvatin Mudhal Kural : Manaseekan, Tamil online magazine.

Links

• First novel discussion, Jeyamohan.in
• Ilakiya Saaral, Padmavati Sarithiram

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